Brown protester’s son has not been turned down for chosen school... yet

When Ben Butterworth confronted the Prime Minister about his struggle to find a place for his son in a good local primary school, millions of parents around the country empathised with his situation.

The company director, who accosted Gordon Brown as he left a meeting in Central London, shouted: ‘Can you tell me why my children can’t get into the state schools of their choice in our area?’

The pictures, shown live on TV, were an embarrassment for Labour on only the second day of the General Election campaign and an indication of the rage felt by one in ten parents who cannot get their offspring into their preferred primary school.

Heckle: Ben Butterworth shouts at Gordon Brown about his struggle to find a place for his son in a good local primary school

But Mr Butterworth’s story - at first appearing as an all-too-familiar tale of the Government’s failure to invest in schools - is not quite as it seems.

A family friend revealed that Mr Butterworth and his wife Jennifer, a project manager, have applied to Lambeth Council, in south London, for a place in the school they think will best suit their three-and-a-half-year-old - but have not actually had a response yet.

The friend said: ‘His son is at private nursery and is due to go to school in September and they have applied for a school place... They have applied but they have not had an answer back yet from the local authority.’

Lambeth Council confirmed that parents in the borough whose children hope to start school this September will not discover where their children will be educated until April 23.

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And according to a source, it is more than likely that when Mr Butterworth and his wife are notified, they will have cause to celebrate.

A council spokesman said that education watchdog Ofsted had found no failing primary schools in middle-class Clapham, where Mr Butterworth and his wife own a £420,000 flat.

Residents are invited to apply for as many schools as they like, giving an order of preference, with the key selection criteria being the distance between the parents’ home and the school.

The two primary schools closest to the Butterworths’ home are: Alderbrook - understood to be one of the family’s preferred options - which was given a ‘Good’ rating in its latest Ofsted report; and Bonneville, which was also rated ‘Good’ in February 2009.

Last year, nearly three-quarters of parents in Lambeth were given their first choice primary school, ten per cent their second choice and just four per cent their third choice, according to council figures.

Mr Butterworth, 31, has been forced to deny suggestions that the Conservative Party ‘planted’ him in order to embarrass Mr Brown. Writing on his own blog, he said: ‘Those looking for a political angle, clear off. I’m a floating voter. Always have been.’

But it is clear from Mr Butterworth’s blog and his account on Twitter, the social networking site, that he is happy to share his opinions with others.

On the subject of the BBC’s announcement that it is going to cut costs, he recently wrote: ‘Words nearly fail me today...I’m so angry.’

And on the subject of for whom he may vote, he posted: ‘I’m not voting for the Green party - they moan constantly, a lot of them smell and I don’t want to end up being monitored by MI5.’

Last night, Mr Butterworth, who runs his own film production company, declined to comment. But a family friend said: ‘The council has not rejected [the Butterworths’] school choices yet, but we know they will.’

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Brown protester¿s son has not been turned down for chosen school... yet